Cable ties have long been used to bundle a variety of objects such as electrical wires or cables. An example of such a cable tie is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,787, incorporated by reference herein. These cable ties generally include an elongate member having a head at one end, a tail at the other end, and a longitudinal stamp body therebetween. Such ties are used by wrapping the strap body around a bundle of articles and inserting the tail end through the head. The head and strap body typically include cooperating locking elements, so that when the tail is pulled tightly through the head, the locking elements secure the stamp body in the head and prevent the strap from being pulled back out of the head.
Cable ties come in various shapes and sizes, and have been used for a growing number of applications through the years. They have been employed to replace string or twine in various applications, and have been used on personal hygiene articles like bathing and cleansing implements. One implement in particular in which such binding devices have been used are synthetic cleansing sponges of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,744, incorporated by reference herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,744 discloses a method for manufacturing a cleansing sponge by binding a plurality of tubes of polyethylene netting together at a common center point. The traditional binding means has been string or twine, but this material tends to rot and unravel after repeated wetting and drying during use. Another problem with string and twine is that the people who tie the knots do not always use knots that will hold together, and may not cinch their knots with sufficient tension to avoid slippage. Some have used traditional cable ties for this application, to prevent the problems associated with string. However, traditional cable ties require removal of the tail end after binding the material together. The tail end is usually removed by curing it off at the locking head. This leaves an exposed rough or abrasive edge which has been found to cut or scratch human skin during use. Some have tried to minimize the exposed sharp edge by overpulling the tail through the head, cutting off the tail, then allowing the end to rebound back towards the head, so that the rough edge will be less exposed than otherwise. Overpulling the tail takes exertion of physical strength. Cutting the tail while it is being pulled is cumbersome and can be dangerous. Additionally, if cut too close to the head, the tail will no longer stay in the head and the binding device is ruined. Sometimes a device is used to cut the tail end of a tie when the tie is engaged at a predetermined tension level, but these devices have been found to leave a sharp exposed edge if not perfectly aligned with the tie during the cutting operation.
There is therefore a desire for a substantially permanent binding tie which can be used to bind a bundle of articles together, and which provides for easy removal of the exposed tail end while leaving no exposed rough or sharp edge sticking out of the locking head. This device becomes particularly important when binding ties are necessary for applications that come in contact with human skin, or other abrasion-sensitive applications.